NYOKO
Standing amidst the destruction, I realized that everything that remained around me could no longer be anything but "ruins"; stone, metal, earth—they all once held meaning, were connected to someone's life, someone's memory, someone's hopes, but now they were all painted the same color—the color of meaninglessness. The emotion rising within me as I looked upon this scene was not merely the cool detachment of a commander assessing a battlefield; it was a pang coming from a deeper, more ancient place. Humanity... how fragile it was. Those countless lives oppressed in the shadow of the powerful, often paying a price just for "existing"—none of them chose this equation. Who decided that when a child opens its eyes, the first thing it should see should not be the sky, but flames? The fact that a mother's last thoughts, as she breathed her last breath, were not about her child's future but about witnessing his death... was this part of which justice? I was born as one of the powerful of this world; my speed, my strength, my perception... all were given to me. But this could not silence the question within me: If power only gains meaning in the hands of those who can destroy... then why could the existence of those born without power be so easily erased?
I slowly lifted my eyes and looked toward the horizon; but there was no longer any horizon. That line where the sky and earth met had now been swallowed by the billowing walls of black flames. The darkness that Magnus had created not only blocked out the light; it seemed to absorb existence itself, drawing everything into itself and leaving no trace behind. The nature of these flames... was indescribable. They were not burning—they were "rejecting."" Everything they came into contact with first lost its form, then its meaning, and finally disappeared as if it had never existed at all. This was not destruction; it was denial. And amidst this denial... humanity was perishing along with its weakest link.
At that very moment, I noticed movement at the edge of my vision. Akihiro… he was still there. Standing in the midst of this disaster, right at the heart of this destruction. When I met his gaze, those heavy thoughts inside me paused for a moment. Because there was something else in his eyes... This wasn't just a warrior's anger. This was the moment of a ideal's shattering. His eyes narrowed as he watched the black flames advance; his lips tightened and his breathing became irregular. But what caught my attention the most... was that he was fighting with himself at that moment. Something inside him... was falling apart.
"Magnus…" he began, his voice initially under control, but this control… was strained, "…did you really have to do this? "
This wasn't an accusation yet. This was… a search for an answer. But all Magnus offered was... silence. And that silence only made what was building up inside Akihiro grow even larger.
When I looked at Aki, I could really feel so many emotions. However, in my opinion, the most obvious emotion was disappointment.
He took a step. The air around him trembled with the surge of his spiritual power. Lightning began to appear uncontrolled as sparks at the tip of his fingers. This was not a conscious decision; it was a clear indication that the balance within him had been disrupted.
"This… this is not a war!" he said, his voice rising, but this rise was more like the release of a suppressed scream than a shout. "This… this isn't control! This… this is a massacre, Magnus! You… you're the only one who can stop this!"
While his words echoed through the air, black flames devoured another city in the background. The sounds of collapsing structures could no longer be distinguished; they were all disappearing at once. But Akihiro's attention... was there. He didn't just see this destruction—he felt it.
"There are people there! " he continued, his voice cracking this time, but this crack... wasn't weakness, it was intensity. "None of them are part of this war! None of them… deserved this! You… how… how could you be so easy on them…?"
The sentence remained unfinished. Because words… weren't enough. At this point, he had reached the limits of language. The emotion within was... too great to be expressed.
I... was watching him. Because this moment... wasn't determining the course of a war, but the direction of a person. In Akihiro's eyes, I could see two different paths clashing. One… opposing this destruction, standing against Magnus, trying to stop him. The other is… saving what can still be saved amidst this destruction.
And he…
Made his choice.
His eyes shifted to me for a moment. This glance wasn't long. But its content... was extremely intense. There was no question in that look, no hesitation. It was... a transmission. It was a decision being transferred to someone else.
He bowed his head slightly.
This was not a request.
This… was a command.
"Move."
No words spoken.
But I… understood.
Then, she turned her gaze back to Magnus. The anger within her had not disappeared. But now that anger... had gained direction. It had been brought under control. And this control made her not more dangerous... but more effective.
"We will talk about this..." he said, his voice now lower, but this drop wasn't due to calmness; it came from intensity. "But now... our priorities are different."
He raised his hand.
This time the lightning... obeyed him.
The energy around him began to take on a specific form, no longer scattered in sparks. The light intensified, took shape, and grew. This was not a technique; it was a call. And the response to that call... came without delay.
Ares.
Behind him, a massive silhouette appeared. It was as if it had been born from lightning, but it was not merely an entity of electricity. Within it... was the essence of war. He was silent, but his very presence exerted pressure.
The entity taking shape behind Akihiro... although it appeared at first glance merely like a concentrated mass of lightning, I noticed upon focusing my attention a bit more that it was something far beyond that. Ares... was not merely a manifestation; he was a form given to war itself. Its body consisted of layers of light in constant motion—a structure with sharp edges yet also fluid, hardening like armor at one moment and dispersing like a wave at the next. Its shoulders were broad, its silhouette human-like, but its proportions... were beyond human limits. There was no distinct face where its head should have been; There was only a concentrated core of light, and from within that core sparks would occasionally fly out, as if even their thoughts were being expressed as an electrical explosion.
Its arms were long and heavy; as they moved, they bent the air around them and caused the entire area to vibrate. Its fingers were not distinct, but each appendage felt like a sharp weapon. On the surface of its body, there were fine lines of light flowing like veins—these were not merely energy flows but also indicators of order; not an uncontrolled force but directed destruction. Their feet weren't quite touching the ground; they were floating a few centimeters above it, as if they didn't quite belong to reality. But despite this... their weight could still be felt. Its presence dominated the space it occupied, radiating an influence so powerful that it forced everything around it to conform to its rhythm.
As I watched it, I realized: Ares was not merely a part of Akihiro's power. That... was the embodiment of Akihiro's fighting style. And even though it wasn't fully formed yet... it was dangerous enough.
Akihiro closed his eyes for a moment. This wasn't a preparation. This… was a moment of acceptance.
Then…
He opened his eyes.
And…
He left.
This was not an action. This was a transition. Not from one point to another—but from a decision to action. It vanished like lightning, but even that comparison was inadequate. Because even lightning follows a path. As for him… he was there right away.
And me…
As I looked after him, that heavy feeling inside me… shifted.
Because now I wasn't just sad anymore.
Now... I had to take action.
After he left, lightning struck from the sky. I could feel the ground shaking. He was trying to handle everything on his own. This was always Akihiro Atlas. Although I didn't know him well at Cistern, I always respected what he did.
Akihiro Atlas... from the moment I first saw him, I couldn't place him into a category in my mind. I had seen countless talented people in academia; the disciplined ones, the naturally gifted ones, the ones who stood out for their intelligence... but he didn't quite fit into any of those categories. I knew about Cistern's achievements mentioned in the records—his exams, assignments, analyses... they were nearly flawless. In the history of the Academy, very few people had achieved such a high level of performance in such a short time, and he was beyond even that minority. But what made it different wasn't the numbers... He used success not as an end result but as a means. While others grew stronger to reach the top, he… grew stronger to protect others.
I hadn't had the chance to get to know him well at Cistern, but what he did... was enough for me to understand him. Always being at the forefront in missions, unhesitatingly taking the riskiest decisions, refusing to back down even in situations with the highest probability of failure... these could not be explained solely by courage. It was something deeper. A commitment. He could approach loved ones, people he cared about, and even strangers—sometimes just because they were "human"—with the same determination. This was a rare sight on the battlefield. Because most people have to choose at some point—who to save, who to leave behind. But he... he was refusing that choice. He was trying to save everyone. It was illogical. It was dangerous. But... it was also quite impressive.
He was alone. It wasn't hard to see this. There was always a gap around him—people respected him, they admired him, but at the same time... they couldn't quite get close. Because what he carried... wasn't an ordinary burden. But despite this... it wasn't filling that void with darkness. On the contrary... it was filling it with light. With that fragile yet stubborn light within itself. And this light was unknowingly spreading around it. People felt stronger around him, braver, more hopeful... as if as long as he existed, everything wasn't over yet.
And now...
While a disaster that was engulfing a country stood before me... he was still doing the same thing.
He wouldn't stop. Akihiro Atlas could fearlessly confront even the worst disaster. Maybe it was a cliff in front of him, and he was a fool who could jump off that cliff without losing even the slightest bit of courage.
He was never backing down.
At a point where reason, strategy, and even survival instinct said "stop"... he was charging forward. He knew he couldn't stop this disaster. I could feel it. But despite that... he plunged in without hesitation. Because for him, it wasn't about winning. The issue was... saving one more person. Keeping one more breath alive.
And this...
Was what made him both the strongest and the most fragile.
As Aki's lightning-fast departure faded from my sight, the determination he left behind... created a momentary silence within me. But that silence didn't last long. Because what still stood behind me... was the true source of this disaster. I slowly turned my head. I looked at Magnus, standing amidst the black flames as if nothing had happened in the midst of this destruction. The reality around him still trembled, the flames still spread, but he... stood there as if he weren't part of this scene at all, with an overwhelming presence that overshadowed everything with just his presence.
I took a step.
This was not an attack.
This… was an act of accountability.
"There must be a reason for going this far, Magnus." I said, my voice under control but the tension rising inside me seeping into every word. I didn't take my eyes off him. "I have seen wars. I have seen massacres. But this… this is something else. This is not a goal. This is a reaction."
As the light of the dark flames hit my face, I tried to read his expression. But Magnus... as empty as always. There was neither anger on his face, nor remorse, nor the slightest hint of hesitation. This was... the most frustrating part. The fact that he could cause such immense destruction and then stand there as if nothing had happened...
I paused for a moment.
Then… I said that name.
"Nahlorie. "
The word weighed heavy in the air. Even saying it, something inside me tensed up. Because I knew this name… would resonate with Magnus. I could guess. But guessing wasn't enough.
"The moment her name was mentioned... you lost control. "I continued, my voice now sharper. "One would have to be blind not to see this. But I'm not blind."
I took another step closer.
"I can guess the reason. " I said, my eyes still on him. "But I don't want to guess. "
I took a breath. I slowly exhaled. Then I squinted my eyes and spoke.
"I want to hear this… from your own lips. "
There was a short silence.
But this silence… would not go unanswered.
Magnus' voice was heard.
It was calm.
It was flat.
It was empty. It felt like a painter's canvas before any touch was made to it. In other words, it felt like Magnus.
"His way of speaking was annoying me."
At that moment…
Something inside me broke.
Was that all?
Was it that simple for him?
The extinction of a country... the erasure of countless lives... was it all just "boredom"?
My eyes suddenly hardened. I didn't need to take a step. The distance between us was already short enough.
My hand moved reflexively.
I grabbed its collar.
The fabric tightened in my hand.
I pulled it towards me.
This wasn't a show of strength.
This... was the breaking point of my patience.
"Are you kidding me? " I said, my voice no longer under control. The anger within me was beginning to spill out through my words. "You destroyed a country, Magnus. You erased people... children... everything!"
I pulled him a little closer to me.
"And you came to me and said…" I said, gritting my teeth, "…'he was bothering me'?"
My eyes locked with his.
"Have you fallen this low? " I whispered, but that whisper... was louder than a shout. "Or were you always like this? "
I continued to hold his hand tightly.
Because at that moment…
I didn't want to let go of him.
Magnus's body showed no resistance whatsoever, even though he was being held by the collar; he neither pulled away nor fought back. It was as if that contact held no physical significance for him. But his eyes... for the first time that moment, they were truly "there." He was looking at me. With a cold, deep, and measuring gaze. My anger, my trembling hands, the involuntary tears gathering in my eyes... he saw it all. And yet... his expression didn't change. He merely bowed his head slightly, as if weighing the significance of what he was about to say, and then spoke—his voice neither rose nor fell; but each word was heavy, as if carved into the fabric of the space we occupied:
"The universe… does not operate with mercy, Nyoko. Its laws are not shaped by the emotions we cultivate within ourselves—yours or mine. You say 'innocent,' I say 'inevitable.' Eradicating an enemy... is not merely destroying his body; it is also erasing every possibility, every echo, every extension that exists alongside him. And among those extensions... yes, there are also the lives you call 'civilian'. But what you don't understand is this: Those lives were born under that enemy's shadow and have existed within that shadow. When you cut down a tree, you cannot preserve its shadow. The shadow... is bound to the tree's fate."
His eyes never left mine for a single moment. There wasn't the slightest tremor in their voice; no remorse, no defense, no anger. This... was conviction.
"You see the pain, I see the result. You measure the loss, I weigh the balance. Because the scale of the universe... is concerned with the continuity of the whole, not with individual lives. If one must burn down a forest to extinguish a single spark... that forest was destined to burn anyway. I merely... hasten that destiny. The gods call it 'will'; philosophers call it 'necessity'; religions sanctify it as 'sacrifice'. But though the names change, the truth remains unchanged: A great salvation is built on small sufferings."
As his words progressed, the dark flames around him rippled slightly; as if what he said was in harmony with that dark energy itself.
"And you ask me… why I went this far. " he said, his voice still moving along the same straight line. "Because to stand by would mean accepting a greater destruction. You feel anger towards me for the deaths you see today. But I... make decisions today for the billions who will die tomorrow. This is not a choice. This is... a burden. And I carry that burden, not by closing my eyes like you... but by looking at it."
There was a brief pause.
Then, in a tone almost approaching a whisper but with the same weight, he added:
"You see me as a monster. You are right. Because in this universe… the things that bring salvation do not always look beautiful."
My eyes were trembling, I was about to lose my mind. I didn't give him even an inch of credit. I wanted to punch him square in the face. I wanted to throw a punch that would shatter the mask on his face. But I couldn't...
I pushed Magnus back with all my strength, and some distance opened up between us. There was something I could do. There was something I had to do.
I slowly bent down and placed my hands on the ground. Magnus knew. That's why he was talking to me like that, right? He knew I could stop this.
I exhaled slowly. That sharp, erratic anger building up inside me seemed to find a way to escape. But it wasn't an explosion. It was... a spread. That initial thin layer of ice that formed on my hand initially seemed like a cold vapor passing over my skin. But within seconds… that vapor condensed, became heavier, and began to act as a center point as soon as it touched the ground. What emanated from there was no longer merely ice; it was my will. Everything I controlled, directed, suppressed, and set free... was taking concrete form in this cold.
The ground was first covered with a thin layer. Then that layer cracked—but not to break, but to multiply. New ice veins sprouted from the cracks, the veins connected, merged, and expanded. Within a few seconds, the streets... became unrecognizable. The black asphalt surface transformed into a glass-like, frozen surface. The vehicles... froze in place. The metal bodies deformed under the weight of the ice layer that had settled on them, transforming into sharp-edged, crystalline structures. The glass cracked inward, then froze outward; as if sealed to prevent even a single moment from escaping.
But this was only the beginning.
The ice… didn't stop.
It reached the buildings. First it enveloped their surfaces, then it penetrated their interiors. It passed through the walls, clung to the columns, grasped the steel frameworks. The skyscrapers began slowly to transform into frozen statues. The glass facades became opaque, the inner layers interlocking. A tower… for a moment it seemed to resist where it stood, then it collapsed "silently" from within, with ice pressure spreading throughout its structure—but this collapse occurred not with the sound of destruction, but with the feeling of a muffled break. Everything… was being silenced.
Towers, buildings, streets, bridges...
The city...
It was no longer a city.
It was a massive ice mass.
And this mass... was expanding non-stop.
The cold wasn't just confined to the surface. The weather itself was changing. Moisture was crystallizing and remaining suspended in the air, making even breathing a sharp pain. Each breath felt like a sharp blade slicing through the internal organs. There was no wind... but everything was trembling nonetheless. Because this cold was unnatural. It was... an imposed silence.
But within this silence...
There was movement.
Somewhere in the distance.
I lifted my eyes slightly.
Akihiro.
His presence... was like a crack in this frozen world. His body, shaped like lightning, moved like a line of light through the ice. Every movement... created a fracture. As it passed through the frozen masses, it advanced by breaking apart that solid structure. The ice blocks cracked, exploded, and disintegrated at every point where it came into contact with them. But this… was not an uncontrolled destruction.
No.
He... was searching.
Inside every structure he destroyed... he was searching for a possibility.
One breath.
A sign of life.
One salvageable piece.
While watching him... I realized what he was doing. This ice was freezing everything, but at the same time... it was preserving it. It was slowing down time. It was delaying death. And Akihiro... was trying to extract life from these delayed moments. Each disintegration was a possibility for salvation. Every action... an act of stubbornness.
Perhaps most of them... had already gone. Perhaps all of them... had already gone.
Perhaps this effort... would be fruitless.
But he...
He didn't stop. Akihiro Atlas didn't stop for a single moment to save someone.
Inside this frozen cemetery I created... he was still trying to save something.
Perhaps it could save some living people...
The solution to what I call a disaster is this simple even for the powerful.
What about innocent lives...?
We have already lost them. Magnus killed them all.
I could see my tears falling onto the icy ground I had created. I barely managed to regain my voice and say the only thing I had to say.
"Yes… I see you as a monster…" I paused. Because what I'm about to say next was too heavy for this universe. Magnus wasn't someone who deserved to hear this. "But... Nahlorie loved you. She didn't even see you as a monster. Even if she had seen it, she would still love you. "
I slowly stood up and turned to face Magnus—
I saw his sword in front of my eyes. If I had come any closer by a centimeter, it would have gouged out my eye. My eyes widened in fear.
"Don't mention her name again! "
The tip of the sword was right in front of my eyes. I wasn't just seeing the cold metal—I was feeling it. One centimeter more... and darkness. My body knew this. My instincts were screaming for me to retreat. But… I didn't retreat. My breath shook, yes. My heart raced, yes. But I didn't take a step. I didn't close my eyes.
Slowly... my hand went up.
The moment my fingers touched the sharp surface of that sword... the pain was immediate. My skin split in two as if it had never existed. The cut, which began as a thin line, progressed from between my fingers toward my wrist. Blood... spilled out instantly. Its heat could be felt even in the middle of this frozen world. But my hand did not withdraw.
On the contrary…
I held on even tighter.
I grasped the sword.
And... I forced it.
As the metal slid across my hand, the cuts deepened, flesh gaped open, and drops of blood spread across the sword's surface and dripped down. But I... pulled it away from my face. Millimeter by millimeter. Forcibly. Not by suppressing the pain... but by accepting it.
My eyes locked with Magnus's.
And this time... it wasn't him who backed away.
My voice wasn't shaking anymore.
"Yes…" I said, with that harsh, sharp tone coming through my teeth. "I see you as a monster."
My hand was still on the sword. My blood dripped from my fingers onto the ice on the ground, spreading in red stains.
"And do you know what's even scarier?" I continued, taking another step closer. "It's not that you're a monster."
I took a breath.
"That she… doesn't even see you as a monster."
My eyes hardened. The anger inside me… was no longer something that could be suppressed.
"Nahlorie…" I said, pronouncing her name slowly, deliberately, with emphasis. "She has been waiting for you for centuries. "
I said each word with emphasis.
"Waiting for you for such a long time that you've almost forgotten what time means... Leaving everything aside. Your life, your existence, your happiness... placing it all under your shadow."
My hand tightened even more. The sharpness of the sword tore my flesh even more, but the pain was now… insignificant.
"There's nothing she wouldn't do for you, Magnus! " I said, my voice now rising. "She exhausted herself for you! She lived for you! She existed for you!"
I took another step.
"And you… what did you do?"
My eyes trembled with anger.
"Nothing!"
That word… it was the explosion of everything that had built up inside me.
"You didn't give her anything! Not a word! Not a look! Not even the slightest hint of love!"
My breathing quickened.
"Can a person… no, a being… be this blind?" I whispered, but that whisper was heavier than a shout. "Seeing someone love you this much and… not feeling anything…"
I didn't take my eyes off him.
"This… isn't monstrous, Magnus."
I bowed my head slightly.
"This… is a deficiency."
My voice hardened again.
"And you... you're so incomplete... you can't even look at someone who continues to love you."
My hand was still on the sword. My blood was still flowing.
"But she..." I said, my voice sounding different this time. Something else was mixed in with the anger. Pain. "She would still love you."
A brief pause.
"Even if you tear it to pieces. "
My eyes narrowed.
"And do you know what's the worst part? "
Slowly, I pushed the sword down a little more.
"You... you don't even deserve this. "
My last words... they were almost etched with hatred:
"You're a man without honor, Magnus. "
And at that moment... the anger inside me could no longer be hidden.
"You're telling me not to mention her name..." I said, with a hint of sarcastic harshness. "Every time I say that name... I remember how low you are."
I paused for a moment. For a few seconds, I was locked into the hatred in his eyes. The transformation of the emptiness in his eyes into hatred felt like a special moment, perhaps because it made me feel like there was a soul within him.
But, he wasn't a child. He was one of the oldest beings in this universe. They had long since transcended concepts like hatred and emptiness.
Then… I delivered the final blow:
"Because she… put you above everything else."
My eyes were now cold as ice.
"As for you… you lived as if it never happened. "
I hate you.
"The mere fact that an existence like yours is still breathing fills me with disgust, Magnus." I couldn't understand why my voice was shaking so much; whether it was out of anger or because I had truly begun to loathe you, I didn't know. "Nahlorie loved you for so long that even time lost its meaning… She devoted herself to you. She dissolved her own life, her own existence, her own self in your shadow. But you?" My lips curled in contempt. "You didn't even look back at him. Because there's nothing within you that can respond to love. You're empty, Magnus. Not because you are strong... but because you are weak." I clenched my fist even tighter, my nails digging into my palm, but I didn't care anymore. "And now I turn and look at Aki…" My eyes involuntarily drifted to the figure in the distance trying to save people. He was still trying to save others. He was still trying to remain human. Despite something like you. "That child is now risking his life, fighting so that people don't die. All you've done is betray him. You betrayed him. Just as you betrayed everyone who trusted you… you betrayed him too." My voice was getting increasingly harsh; I wasn't saying the words anymore; I was literally throwing them in your face. "Because you rot everything you touch. You drained Nahlorie. You burdened Aki with pain. And you still think you're superior, huh?" I took another step. Without taking my eyes off his, I spoke.
"No… you're not strong. You're just a piece of shit with nothing left inside. You don't know what honor is. You don't know what loyalty is. You're not even human enough to bear the weight of someone truly loving you." My breathing became irregular, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stay. "That's why you'll never understand why Nahlorie was looking at you. And that's why you'll never be able to accept the disappointment in Aki's eyes. " I remained silent for a few seconds. Then, in a single sentence, I poured out all the hatred that had built up inside me onto him: "Because your greatest curse is this, Magnus… you destroyed everyone who loved you, yet you are still alone. "
…
For the first time, there was something that truly cracked on Magnus's face. That hate-filled expression was replaced by the cold, empty, controlled expression again. But this time, it was different. It was as if a fracture that had been suppressed for a long time had surfaced with a single sentence.
"You don't know anything about me!"
His voice turned into a pressure that shook the very ground beneath him. The black flames suddenly changed direction, and the surrounding ice layers began to crack. It was as if mere anger was warping physical reality. His eyes were no longer on Nyoko; they were staring at a deeper, more distant point. There was something there. Something like a wound that wouldn't heal.
"Nothing…!" he continued, his voice rising as the darkness around him thickened. "You cannot weigh the things I carry… the things I see… the losses I am forced to choose between… on your little scale of 'right and wrong'! "
Magnus just looked at me for a few seconds. But there was no anger in that look. There was no defensiveness. Not even hatred. It was as if my words hadn't reached him... or worse, he didn't really "care" about any of it." That bottomless emptiness within his eyes was something no human could bear. And then he spoke.
"You don't even realize how narrow-mindedly you've judged me, Nyoko. "
His voice was deep. It was as if he was dropping the words not into the air but directly into my mind. That faint smile appearing on his lips... made me even angrier.
"Love, loyalty, betrayal..." he said slowly. "You still think these concepts are sacred. Because your life is not long enough to watch them decay."
His eyes briefly shifted in Aki's direction. He was still trying to save people. He was still tearing himself apart to keep others alive.
"One day that child will understand," said Magnus. "That everything one tries to save will eventually perish... that the values for which people sacrifice themselves are merely the inventions of minds afraid of death."
I clenched my fist. But he didn't stop.
"You think I'm incomplete. " His eyes turned back to me. "No. I just reached the truth before you. I created the truth. I am the truth itself! Staring blankly at everything? Are you telling me this? Do you think no one told me these things before you? That I don't understand this universe? You don't even know what you're talking about! You don't know a single thing about me!"
There was a moment of silence.
And that silence... it was heavier than what they said.
"The truth is…" he continued, his voice now almost reduced to a cold whisper. "Gods do not remain alone, Nyoko. "
The emptiness within their eyes took on an even more terrifying form at that moment.
"They... have been cut off from everyone from the very beginning."
Is the reason for being alone because you are God? Are you choosing to be alone because you have alienated everyone from yourself?
I wanted to say these out loud, but maybe I was afraid. I couldn't say them.
"I am not a god. "
…
He answered as if he had read my mind.
"I am not a human being."
I know... I just said it.
"I am neither anything nor everything at the same time." he said.
My mouth reflexively opened for a few seconds, and I couldn't hide my surprise.
Before I even had a chance to think about what he meant, he made a move.
At that exact moment, he raised his hand.
The black flames twisted. Black flames from the earth and the sky were merging, covering the entire atmosphere.
The atmosphere changed.
The next attack wasn't just a move—it was the culmination of a decision. That's when I realized Magnus wanted to kill me for real.
But that attack didn't happen.
Because the sky was torn apart. As if a king who controls the lightning in the sky had deliberately split the heavens.
A lightning bolt fell directly to the earth.
Aki's presence descended by splitting the light itself. It was not pure speed... but like pure will. At the moment of impact, the ground shook, the ice sheets shattered, and the air was pushed backward. What followed that decline was not a single entity but a momentum.
And right after that…
Ares arrived. When I saw his massive silhouette behind me, I realized once again how small our lives are in this universe. If it weren't for the attack from Ares' spear, I would have died just now. My life, which had spanned centuries, would have come to an end. At the hands of the person I hate...
Ares spun his spear in his hand and, after winding up fully, swung it with great force and speed, splitting the air. With the power of his swing, all the surrounding ice floes shattered into pieces.
The spear's slash moved forward like a line dividing the sky in two. It was as if reality, not air, were being cut. The attack heading toward Magnus wasn't directed in a single direction; it carried the potential for multiple deaths.
But Magnus... didn't hesitate.
"The Hand of God."
The moment the words left the mouth, the black flames took shape. A massive, abstract hand that felt simultaneously "real" formed by grasping the void. When positioned directly above the oncoming attack, it absorbed Ares' spear strike as if it were a physical law.
The collision...
created a momentary silence.
Then, a massive explosion occurred.
Black flames flared upward, and Magnus rose above that giant hand, drawn skyward. As the earth shrank below, the battle was no longer merely a matter of space—it had become a matter of height.
In that chaotic moment, Aki reflexively caught me. He placed one arm under my knee and the other around my back, picking me up and pulling back quickly. His movement was precise and controlled; even in the blink of an eye, there was balance.
"Hold on! " he said in a low voice.
Ares had repositioned himself opposite Magnus at that moment. The hand that Magnus had created had elevated him so much that it was standing directly in front of Ares' enormous eyes, which were shining through his massive helmet. There was a considerable distance between them.
Ares' massive spear was still slashing through the cracked air. Aki didn't pause for a moment—she lifted me up and settled me on Ares' shoulder, while positioning herself stably.
And in that moment…
Everything stopped for a moment.
Magnus was stationary in the sky.
Aki and I were on Ares.
Beneath us was a shattered world. It's a world we've torn apart. It's like the world of ice I created to repair and save after Magnus's disaster...
And there's something unspoken between them.
At that exact moment, I lost my breath. My eyes were still scanning the surroundings, but even my analytical gaze had a crack in it now. All the stiffness in my body dissolved in a momentary void.
I felt like I was going to fall, and with a reflexive momentary action, I hugged Aki around the neck.
Aki looked at me for a moment and seemed a little flushed. Our faces were too close. That's why I immediately turned my gaze back in the direction of Magnus.
This wasn't a relief.
For me, it was a belated reflex reaction to fear. I had spent too much of my Spirit Power creating the glaciers.
Magnus looked directly at us, and as soon as he lifted his robotic arm and snapped his finger, chains made of black flames wrapped around Ares' feet from the ground, and although Ares tried to move, he could not.
Aki's shoulders shook with tension, and my fingers gripped tightly at Aki's clothing. As if I let go, I'd fall...
Aki froze for a moment.
Because that hug...
It was like a "human error" in the midst of the war.
And above, Magnus rising in the black flames... was preparing to speak again.
"What you call 'opposition' is just noise in my eyes, Nyoko. You're a blind gaze watching the universe collapse and still searching for meaning. I know the weight of everything I've destroyed... and yet I stand. But you? You are not a contribution to the balance that Aki and I have established; you are an error. Your presence produces no benefit; it only creates a crack. And what leaks through those cracks is not resistance that would weaken us—it is empty stubbornness. Even thinking you're standing against me is comical and tragic... because I'm beyond caring what you're standing against."
Magnus, without blinking, opened his right hand as if pointing toward the city and gestured toward the hell we were in.
"Look, Aki! People I could have saved are now dying of cold in the ice! I could have withdrawn my black flames! However, it's the result of not trusting me! It's the result of the universe created by those who think I don't practice positive discrimination against anyone! Leave that woman alone! I won't kill her… But if you want to side with her, you'll have to side against me too!" Before continuing, he paused for a few seconds and looked away.
"I don't want to fight with you, Aki..."
I could feel the weight of what Magnus was saying. Aki had probably been with him for years and was aware of his power. It must be difficult for Aki to stay on my side and fight him... Even if the two of us combined our forces, we might not be able to defeat him...
I slowly turned my eyes to Aki. We made eye contact again. He was cute. He was too cute for a guy, and since he wasn't very tall, carrying me was a bit disproportionate. I could tell by the way I was hugging his neck. His muscles were tense, his breathing had become rapid. Standing against this man who had devoted years to him and whose power he had witnessed firsthand... I knew this wasn't just a physical battle for him. It meant turning her back on her past, perhaps even on some of the things she believed in. "Aki," I could only whisper. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself because of me..."
Aki unexpectedly squinted his eyes and shook his head from side to side as if to say 'no'.
Aki took a deep breath. His voice echoed with a tone as clear as steel, cold enough to drown out the roar of the surrounding destruction and the screams of the wind:
What you call 'balance' is nothing but a graveyard where only those who submit to you survive, Magnus!" The spear slowly formed in his hand with lightning erupting around it; the sharp sound of the metal strained the tension between us like a violin string about to snap. "If you must first threaten people with death to save them, what you call power is merely cowardice. Nyoko is not a mistake... He is one of those who want to protect humanity, which you have brought to the brink of destruction in your sickly order. And if the price of keeping him alive is standing up to you..." He pointed the tip of his spear unhesitatingly, aligning it precisely with the heart of Magnus in the sky. "...I've already chosen my side. Let the black flames come! Will they be enough to reduce us both to ashes?"
Following Aki's words, the world seemed to freeze. The air around us became so thick that even breathing turned into an action that felt like it was tearing my chest cage apart. The two former allies were now staring at each other like enemies standing on opposite sides of a chasm. The divine, mocking expression on Magnus's face slowly disappeared; it was replaced by pure, dark, and silent anger. The black flames swirling around him were fueled further by Aki's words, beginning to swallow the sky like a vortex.
The distance between us was only a few meters, but at that moment, that look between the two of them was the most dangerous, the most destructive thing in the entire universe. There was a deafening silence, as if the sky would collapse on us if a single sound were to be made. With the unshakable will emanating from Aki's sword and Magnus's sky-splitting power clashing in the air, the battle had not yet begun physically, but in minds and souls, swords had already been unsheathed and the first blood had been shed. Aki was the only refuge for me in the midst of the hell Magnus had created.
Still, I couldn't leave him like this. I wasn't going to let him fight alone.
I slowly removed my arms from around his neck. Our bodies rubbed against each other slightly, but I tried to ignore it and forcefully slid down from his arms. I stood in front of him and turned to Magnus.
"I will fight too; you need to defeat both of us. I stand by my words. I feel more than you can understand for the woman whose century-long wait you failed to fulfill... For now, even though I don't want to kill you for her, I still have to fight for Aki."
Magnus remained silent. In Aki, Magnus was watching me from behind with caution. We were waiting cautiously for his move.
"All right then. I'm leaving."
The Hand of God created by Magnus rotated on its axis and assumed a position facing away from us.
"Where are you going, Magnus?!" Aki shouted.
"Our journey with you has come to an end here, or perhaps it has only come to an end for now. After all, journey stories don't end until one of them dies." he said, and with a swift movement of his hand, he disappeared into thin air.
I need an explanation for the dozens of things I just witnessed... I'm so tired.
I turned around.
"Do you want something to drink?", I asked after exhaling.
Oh, that's right. The whole city just disappeared. Fortunately, since I'm an extremely fast queen, I can take Aki somewhere immediately–?
I noticed that Aki's tears were flowing and that I couldn't see her face clearly because she had her head bowed.
"Are you okay? " I asked in a sad and low voice.
"Again… It happened again. I'm alone. "
Their words hung in the air. For a few seconds, I didn't know what to do—time seemed to freeze.
For a few seconds, I didn't know what to do, and when I noticed that Aki's body was slowly falling, I immediately approached him and used my body as a cushion as he collapsed to his knees. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and I said nothing for a while—because some pain becomes worse with words. I just let her cry in silence while sitting on Ares' shoulder, with her alone.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
END OF CHAPTER